Music and Horror

Music and Horror

Something may be in the wind, as a host of recent horror novels use music as a plot element.

Let’s just admit it. Music is an underappreciated presence in horror. Sure, it gets a nod when it’s particularly effective as a film score (think of Bernard Herrmann’s biting violins in Psycho, Charlie Clouser’s creepy sounds in Saw) or surfaces on Halloween playlists when we resurrect songs like “Thriller” and “Enter Sandman.” But even less frequently does music serve as a plot element, whether in literature or on the screen. Given music’s omnipresence in our lives, that surprises me. Perhaps this is about to change.

I wrote an article that explores the history of music in horror, and the recent trend with authors using music as a plot element, whether as a key aspect of the story, a backdrop, or an element that heightens the mood. (The Shatter Point is one such novel.) Read the full post at Red Lace Reviews.